Artificial arms



g- 7, 1956 H. K. COHAN 2,757,383

ARTIFICIAL ARMS Filed July 9, 1954 INVENTOR. maze/5 x4. COHAA/ ATTORNEYE) United States Patent ARTIFICIAL ARMS Harris K. Cohan, Hasbrouck Heights, N. J.

Application July 9, 1954, Serial No. 442,370

7 Claims. c1. 3-124 This invention relates to prosthetic devices, more particularly to artificial arm members and means for articulating the upper joint thereof.

Artificial appliances have heretofore been used to. replace missing members. However, because of the unsatisfactory experiences with the ordinary mechanical limb due to its inherently artificial characteristics a variety of problems have been engendered in their use. It is, for example, found relatively dilficult to achieve the desired flection of the artificial arm member, that is the desired to and fro swing present on Walking. Abductive and adductive motion of the arm is also not generally achieved by conventionally employed prosthetic devices.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide a novel prosthetic device.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel articulation for use at the shoulder joint of prosthetic devices.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved artificial member of simple and economical construction.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an articulated prosthetic device providing the desired naturalness of arm flection. v r

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel articulated joint for prosthetic devices permitting the requisite abduction and adduction of said member.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple mode of fastening artificial arm members to the shoulder of the user.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an artificial arm member able to turn on its longitudinal axis.

These and other objects of the invention, which will become apparent from the following disclosure, are achieved by means of a body contacting element having freely pivoted thereto a substantially U-shaped yoke. Pivoted between the outwardly extended leg members of the yoke is a T bar having pivoted at its lower end the support for the artificial member.

A specific embodiment of this inventive concept will be made manifest in the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawing wherein like numbered parts in the various figures represent like parts, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the articulated joint of the prosthetic device.

Figure 2 is a top plan view showing the body plate with the yoke member pivoted thereto and having parts broken away to show details of the yoke construction.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the components shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a partial view of a prosthetic arm with parts broken away to show the novel articulated shoulder mount.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, as best seen 2,757,383 Patented Aug. 7, 1956 in Figure 1, the novel articulated joint 10 for the support of prosthetic arm members comprises a body plate 11 having pivoted thereto by means of bolt 12 a yoke member 13.

As best seen in Figure 4, this yoke member 13 has arm members 14 and 15 having apertures 16 and 17, respectively. Aperture 16 is preferably tapped to receive screw 18, while aperture 17 permits free passage of the threads of screw 13. The body portion of yoke 13 is provided with a slot 20 whose function will be hereinafter described. An aperture 21 is also provided in body portion.

It will be observed from Figure 4 and Figure 3 that the body contacting plate 11 is provided with a land 25 having tapped recesses 26 and 27.

The yoke member 13, as noted, is pivotally fastened to the body contacting plate 11 by means of bolt'12 engaging in tapped recess 26 after passing through untapped aperture 21 in the yoke. This bolt member 12 is provided with an untapped aperture 29 in its head. A screw 30 adapted for insertion through aperture 29, slot 20 and engagement in tapped recess 27 is provided. This construction is most clearly seen in Figures 2 and 3.

A T member 40 provided with aperture 41, extending through the head portion of the member, is supported between the arms of the yoke member by means of screw 18, which passes freely through apertures 17 and 41 and engages in tapped aperture 16 of the yoke member. Land 42 is provided with tapped recesses 43 and 44.

The artificial arm supporting member 50, as best seen in Figures 1 and 4, comprises a plate portion 51 having a slot 52 and untapped aperture 53. At the sides of this plate portion arm members 54 and 55 adapted for engagement inside the artificial upper arm, as best seen in Fig. 5, are provided. This supporting member 50 is pivoted to the land of T member 40 by means of bolt 60 provided with an aperture 61 in its head. This bolt extends through aperture 53 into tapped recess 43 of the T member. A screw 65 threaded for engagement in tapped recess 44 is inserted through aperture 61 and slot 52.

Operation In use, it is contemplated that the above disclosed elements will be assembled, as indicated in Figures 1, 4 and 5, to provide an articulated shoulder joint for use in connection with prosthetic arms. It will be noted that the joint created permits the arm member to swing freely in a plane parallel to that of body contacting plate 11. This plate is fastened against the shoulder of the user and thus any artificial arm supported therefrom will have free flection, that is, to and fro motion, as desired, to give the i1- lusion of naturalness when walking. This motion results from the pivoting of yoke 13 relative to plate 11. It is desired to limit this motion and it is for this reason that slot 20, and screw 30 which functions as a stop member, .is provided. It will be seen that the interaction of screw 30 and slot 30 results in limiting the motion between yoke and plate.

Abduction and adduction of the prosthetic arm, that is, lateral motion to and from the body is herein provided for by means of the T member 40 pivoted between the arms of the yoke member 13. Since natural arms are restricted in their movements .in this lateral direction only by contact with the body or the head, no limitation in this motion is provided.

Provision is also made in this novel joint for a twisting of the arm member about its longitudinal axis, such as is possible with natural arm members. This provision is achieved by pivoting supporting member 50 to T member 40. Restriction of this motion is achieved by the interaction of screw 65 functioning as a stop member in conjunction with slot 52.

As seen in Figure 5, the assembled aim is held to the body byvmeans of straps 70 engaging plate 11. A prosthetic arm constructed in the principles of this invention mainly: that of providing a joint permitting flect'ion, abduction and adduction as Well as twisting is provided. It should be apparent that the screws disclosed may readily be replaced by rivets or like fastening means and that other mechanical equivalents for'the components disclosed may be substituted Without departing from the scope of this'inventionl The above disclosure has been given by way of illustration and elucidation and not by way of limitation, and it' is desired to protect all embodiments of the herein disclosed inventive concept within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

lfAn articulated shoulder joint for prosthetic arms permittingflection, adduction and abduction of said arm, said joint comprising: a body contacting plate; a yoke member pivoted to said plate; a T member pivoted betweenth'e arms of said yoke member; and a support for an artificial arm pivoted to said T member."

2. An articulated shoulder joint for prosthetic arms permitting flection, adduction and abduction of said arm, saidjoint comprising: a body contacting plate; a yoke member pivoted to said plate; means between said yoke and said plate limiting their relative motion; a T member pivoted between the arms of said yoke member; and a support for an artificial arm pivoted to said T member.

3. An articulated shoulder joint for prosthetic arms permitting fiection, adduction and abduction of said arm, said joint comprising: a body contacting plate; a yoke member pivoted to said plate; means pivoted between the arms of'said yoke member; a support for an artificial arm pivoted to said last mentioned means; and means between said support and said last named means for limiting their relative motion.

4. An articulated shoulder joint for prosthetic arms permitting flection, adduction and abduction of said arm, said joint comprising: a body contacting plate; a yoke member pivoted to said plate; means between said yoke and said-plate limiting their relative motion; means pivoted between the arms of said yoke member; a support for an artificial arm pivoted to said last mentioned means; and means between said support and said last named means for limiting their relative motion.

5. An articulated shoulder joint for prosthetic arms permittingflection, adduction and abduction of said arm, said joint comprising: a body contacting plate; a yoke member having a body portion and two arm portions and having a slot in said body portion, said body portion being pivotally connected to said plate; a stop member extending through said slot into said plate whereby the motion of said yoke relative to said plate is limited; a T member pivoted between the arms of said yoke member; and a support for an artificial arm pivoted to said T member.

6. An articulated shoulder joint for prosthetic arms permitting flection, adduction and abduction of said arm, said joint comprising: a body contacting plate; a yoke member having a'body portion and two arm portions, said body portion being pivotally connected to said plate; a T member pivoted between the arms of said yoke member; an artificial-arm support having a plate portion and two arm portions, said plate portion having a slot therein and pivoted to said T member; and a stop member extending through said slot and engaging said T member, whereby the motion of said support relative to said T member is-limited.

7. An articulated shoulder joint for prosthetic arms permitting flection, .adduction and abduction of said arm, said joint comprising: a body contacting plate; a yoke member having a body portion and two arm portions and having a slot in said body portion, said body portion being pivotally connected to said plate; a stop member extending through said slot into said plate whereby the motion of said yoke relative to said plate is limited; a T member pivoted between the arms of said yoke member; an artificial-arm support having a plate portion and two arm portions, said plate portion having a slot therein and pivotedto said T member; and a stop member extending through said slot and engaging said T member, whereby the motion of said support relative to said T member is limited.

References'Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,535,439 Edwards Dec. 26', 1950 

